Haradasun Provides Milestone for Fusaichi Pegasus

Haradasun belatedly delivered on his promise to provide Fusaichi Pegasus with his first group I in the southern hemsphere.

As a sibling of multiple group I winner Elvstroem, expectations have always been high for the colt bred by his Melbourne owners Frank Tagg, Garry Moffitt and Frank Meduri.

They also bred and raced AUS$5.6 million winner Elvstroem. The Danehill son won four group I races at home and the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-I) before joining the Blue Gum Farm roster in Victoria.

The reality for Haradasun and his crew is that the colt is plagued with chronic feet problems, restricting the options of his trainer, Tony Vasil.

Haradasun had won four of seven starts going into the AUS$400,000 George Ryder Stakes (Aus-I) over 1,500 meters of Rosehill on March 31.

Although coming off a sound late-closing fourth behind generation leader Miss Finland in the Australian Guineas (Aus-I), Sydney punters were wary of him at his first race on a right-handed oval. He went off at 6-1 in the 6-horse field, the 2005 Guineas hero, Apache Cat a 6-4 elect.

Glen Boss sat the colt back in last and Haradasun outsprinted the others in deep stretch despite laying out. His margin over 9-4 second favorite Mentality was a long neck, Apache Cat adjudged to be a similar distance away in third.

The minor placegetters are group I winners: Mentality, by Danehill son Flying Spur, and Apache Cat, by Lion Cavern, a deceased son of Fusaichi Pegasus’s sire Mr. Prospector.

Haradasun is from the second crop of Fusaichi Pegasus, to stand his seventh Australian season at Coolmore next spring.

Circles of Gold, the dam of the $520,000 winner and Elvstroem, is an Australian Oaks (Aus-I) winner. The Coolmore resident is pregnant to Redoute’s Choice but will likely return to the Kentucky Derby (gr.I) winner.

Haradasun’s triumph provides more belated company for his 2004 US grade I winners, Bandini and Roman Ruler. Floral Pegasus won the Hong Kong Classic Mile (HK-I) in January and almost added the also HK Derby (HK-I) on March 18.

Group I winners by Fusaichi Pegasus nearly grew more dramatically at Rosehill as 2-year-old Zizou reprised his second in last month’s Blue Diamond (Aus-I) with another brave second in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (Aus-I) three races later.

In between, his 3-year-old filly, Just Dancing, was a creditable third to Miss Finland in Australian Oaks prep, the Arrowfield Stakes (Aus-I).